People people people...
I know I'm just one person with one experience but here goes anyway. I applied to PA school right out of college. All the experience I had--ALL OF IT--was volunteering at a free health clinic while I was in school. That's it. I got to do lots of shadowing, translating for doctors, and minor (read that again: MINOR) history taking. Never EVER did I even so much as touch a patient. I applied to 4 VERY COMPETITIVE schools and I was accepted to all 4. The school I attend right now turns away 10 people for every 1 spot. I say that not to boast but to make this point: surely they turned down people who were VERY LIKELY more experienced than me. But in the long run it's not the only thing that matters. They look at the WHOLE applicant--grades, GRE scores, DESIRE TO BECOME A PA, stuff like that. So don't get bogged down at all. By the way, in my class there are people who worked for years as EMT's, Clin tech's, respiratory therapists, MA's, you name them. Then there's people who like myself never did anything beyond shadowing and filing at a medical office. Do I think we're going to be worse PA's for it? NOT IN THE LEAST. I think we bring a fresh perspective into the field. Everything to us is exciting. We're curious, we love to learn and the zeal you see in us "newbies" is amazing. I say if you have any kind of health-care related experience AT ALL, you're good to go. Just show them on your essay and interview that your heart is in the right place. That's what the profession really needs.
God Bless and Gig 'em!
AggiePA
UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas Class of 2004